Continuing on with the #Blogtober14 prompts, today's is "What was your dream job when you were little, and what is it now?"
No, I didn't dream of being a hairstylist when I was tiny. Instead, I wanted to be like Shirley Temple.
I wanted her ringlets, dimples, adorable dance moves, cute singing voice, and of course, be a movie star. Now, life didn't hand me a singing voice, any sort of rhythm to dance with, or much in the way of acting ability (which I didn't find out until a few failed attempts acting in plays in high school), so I changed things as I grew up. I still clung to the idea that I would be an actress, or major in theater in college, or do something creative that would mesh with my acting idea, but I started to see the flawed logic in my dreams.
I didn't have the opportunities as a child to take voice or dance lessons, and I didn't even know how to get involved in musical theater or dramas as a kid with no means. That required a lot of money and time my family didn't have. By the time I hit middle school and found out about the plays that were put on each year, I was sort of a lost cause.
I did however, have a natural inclination toward styling hair, even as a kid. My Barbies, Cabbage Patch Kids, and dolls all had great hair. When I was in high school, I was a go-to girl to get ready with for dances, because I did some cool hair. Some of my friends were even brave enough to let me color and cut their hair, or style their hair for weddings before I even went to Cosmetology school.
Now, my dream job is exactly what I am doing, but tweaked. I would be a hair and makeup artist, focusing on weddings.
I love salon services, but if you don't have a nice clientele built up, or you have to work for a salon (as I do now, in Texas) rather than renting a station or doing your own thing, it can feel stifling and forced. I am stubborn and controlling, meaning I want to call the shots and have complete control over all aspects of my income and how to get it. I think what I had in California was much closer to my dream job than what I have now. I worked 3-4 days a week, max. I had a clientele filled with family and friends (some were clients that became friends, even). I had full control over when and how much I worked, and what weddings I wanted to book. It was pretty ideal.